Mas on MAS II

The new Museo Alameda del Smithsonian has yet to open, and creators are already calling it a downtown landmark and a national destination for travelers. So far, Despierta America and USA Today have been in town for stories.

This week it’s the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. The San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau is also hosting a group of travel writers from publications including Family Circle, Segunda Joventud (AARP’s Spanish bimonthly), the Dallas Morning News and the Oklahoman. Other media include La Opinion, El Heraldo News, Azteca America and ESPN en Espanol.

Some will hear MAS’ spokesmen and women say that the museo is a symbol of the Latino population’s growing influence in U.S. life, that it embodies Latinos’ growing role in 21st century America.

MAS spokesman Ken Slavin is making a prediction of his own: That MAS will become a landmark in part for its hojalata, or punched tin, installation on its facade. Though it’s something to see on its own, the real show may come at night when it will be accompanied by a five-minute synchronized light-and-sound display at the top of the hour.